Okavango Eternal

Committed to conservation, De Beers joined National Geographic to address one of Africa’s most critical conservation challenges: protecting the pristine source waters of the Okavango Delta. Aligned with our Building Forever sustainability framework, Okavango Eternal evidences our pledge to creating a positive impact for the people and nature in the countries where our diamonds are discovered.

The Jewel of the Kalahari

A freshwater oasis in the middle of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, the Okavango Delta is one of the most biodiverse areas in Africa. Home to the world’s largest remaining elephant population, it also is the natural habitat of lions, cheetahs, crocodiles, buffalo, wild dogs, zebra, and hundreds of species of birds. Often called the Jewel of the Kalahari, its source waters are a lifeline for many endangered species, including the white and even the black rhinoceros, but are also home to over one million people.

One of the most incredible phenomena in this delta is the annual seasonal flooding that occurs from the Okavango River. The waters swell the grassy plains by nearly twice their original size, and the Okavango Delta becomes the largest freshwater marsh ecosystem in the world. Creating a myriad of different habitats – from open floodplains to islands that sprout riverine woodlands, from forests to open savannah – the Delta is transformed into a seasonal, buzzing hive of animal activity.

This natural occurrence also spurs a human congregation, as the Delta supports a strong ecotourism industry – one that brings hundreds of millions of dollars to Botswana’s economy – also inherently dependent on the life-force of these waters.

Under Threat

Being so indispensable, the Okavango Delta is itself under a protected status. But, the wider Okavango Basin in Angola and Namibia, which are the actual source waters of this very Delta, is not. The Okavango Delta originates from Angola’s central highlands, almost 1,000 kilometres and two political borders away. Angola’s summer rainfall filters through grasses, peat deposits, and sand layers – attaining a purity that outrivals anything from a modern tap – and drains into two rivers, delivering a total of 2.5 trillion gallons of water into the Okavango Delta. If this yearly lifeline were to stop, one of Africa’s most remarkable natural treasures would also stop nourishing the ecosystems that rely on it. However, the effects of climate change, population density, and commercial agriculture upstream are putting this natural wonder at risk.

For many years, the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project has been working with local communities, NGOs, and governments in southern Africa to help secure protection for the Okavango Basin. De Beers is proud to support and accelerate these vital efforts by drawing on our own experience of working with the people of Botswana, in conservation and livelihood programmes, for over half a century.

With local and international support, the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project has been led since 2015 by National Geographic Explorer Dr. Steve Boyes, as he fastidiously studies wildlife and every stream of water in the area, to comprehend just how pure the waters have to remain to nourish the Okavango Delta. The amassed body of data serves as a powerful tool in developing conservation efforts, to help ensure the waters are able to flow freely and cleanly through undamaged land, safe from human-set fires or timber harvest.

The scientific work that supports these conservation efforts has proven imperative. Towards this end, Okavango Eternal has been establishing the critical infrastructure necessary to expand water monitoring capabilities along more remote rivers, while also supporting the Okavango Wilderness Project’s annual Delta expeditions to collect further data. Having a deeper understanding on how ecosystems interact – for example, determining the extent of migration routes and territories for animals – enables Okavango Eternal to help safeguard corridors between countries for wildlife to pass through freely and proliferate. And in turn, this wildlife is protected by locals who derive a sustainable livelihood from conserving the area. By 2030, our Okavango Eternal partnership aims to have developed livelihood opportunities for around 10,000 people, and to help ensure water and food security for over a million people, while fortifying these outcomes with an increased local resilience to climate-related impacts.

With an eye towards the future, De Beers and National Geographic are also supporting the next generation of protectors, developing programs to support local scientists, and sponsoring internships and PhDs, ensuring that the future stewardship of the Okavango Basin remains in the hands of local talent. Okavango Eternal is a five-year, multifaceted, and multi-country mission with many challenges. De Beers is proud to be working alongside National Geographic, dedicating resources and efforts to help protect the natural world, to support thriving communities, and to preserve one of the world’s most remarkable natural wonders.